If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Ariane 5's two Primary Payloads Are Ready

Preparations for Arianespace's initial Ariane 5 launch of 2009 are in full swing following the delivery of SES NEW SKIES' NSS-9 telecommunications satellite to French Guiana and the fueling of the mission's other primary passenger - HOT BIRD 10 for Eutelsat.

NSS-9 arrived last Friday aboard an Antonov An-124 cargo jetliner and was transferred by road to the Spaceport.

After NSS-9's deployment on February 12 mission, the satellite will be positioned at an orbital location of 183 degrees East .

Manufactured by Orbital Sciences Corporation of the United States using its Star 2 satellite bus, NSS-9 will have a liftoff mass of 2,230 kg. It is designed for a minimum service life of 15 years .

This spacecraft carries 44 active C-band transponders, and features three beams that can interconnect on a transponder-by-transponder basis .

NSS-9 will be launched together HOT BIRD 10, which was loaded ton January 19 with its propellant . HOT BIRD 10 will be located at 13 degrees East . The HOT BIRD 10 platform is based on EADS Astrium's Eurostar 3000 spacecraft bus, and is identical to the HOT BIRD 9 relay platform successfully orbited by Ariane 5's year-ending 2008 launch on December 20.

Also to be included with HOT BIRD 10 and NSS-9 on the upcoming Ariane 5 flight are two small Spirale satellites, which are demonstrators for a French defense space-based optical early warning system.

Arianespace is targeting six to eight Ariane 5 missions in 2009, continuing its sustained flight rate to meet launch services needs of the company's growing international customer base.